Method for the production of solid gelatinous substances.



. UNITED STATES PATENT ornicn.

IPAUL ASKENASY, or KARLSRUI-IE, GERMA I-I. SCHEIDEMANDEL, or BERIIIN, GERMANY,

- FOR CHEMISCHE PRODUCTE VORMA LS A CORPORATION OF GERMANY.

NY, ASSIGNOR T AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SOLID GELATINOUS SUBSTANCES.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Dr. PAUL AsKENAsY, professor, chemist, a Subject of the German Emperor, and resident of Karlsruhe, Baden, Germany, have invented a new and useful Method for the Production of Solid Gelatinous Substances, of which the following is market in a solid condition generally in the form of sheets or plates, or in the form of powder manufactured by grinding such sheets or plates. selves are generally obtained from solutions of the gelatinous substances.

My invention relates to a new gelatinous product in solid form and divided state, and I will'describe the new product in describing the method of manufacturing it. This method consists in bringing the gelatinous material, when in a liquid state, in contact with a liquid which is unable to dissolve said gelatinous niaterial. The eflect of such treatment is that particles of gelatinous ma-- terial, of substantially globular form are obtained; and these, under the conditions hereinafter stated, solidify and can be re- 4 moved from the liquid, and the liquid may be used over and over again.

The solidified lobules of gelatinous material, if containing solvents, for instance water, may be further treated so as to drive ofl the solvents from the gelatinous material, and to leave a hard product suitable for the market. One mode in which the method is employed includes the'use of the liquid .which does not dissolve gelatin, in a'cooler 4 state than the gelatinous material itself, and preferably at atemperature below the congealing point of the gelatinous material, so as to produce by direct contact with the 'liquid'gelatinous material a quickcongealing of same, at least at its surface. The cooling of the liquid in which the globules are formed, or into which the formed globules are introduced, may be effected continuously by proper means, for instance by circulation.

Suitable liquids that do not dissolve gelatin are benzene and other hydrocarbons, trichlorethyene, tetrachlorid of carbon, carbon-bisu speaking practically The sheets or plates themdepends medicines 'flour, salts, d, benzyl-alcohol, etc. .,Broadly- 1 Specification .of Letters Patent. I: Patented Oct, 10, 1916,- Application filed 0ctobe'r19,.1915. serial No. 56,816. I I

all liquids may be used which are insoluble, or almost insoluble in Water, this depending upon the fact that the ordinary gelatinous materials, the use of which can be treated while tions. I

The size of the globules may be regulated at will, and depends generally on the veloc- 1ty with which the gelatinous material is introduced, the pressure to which it is subjected, the diameter of the nozzles, and other conditions varying with the materials and temperatures employed. The cooling effect of the liquid brought into contact with the gelatinous globules depends principally on the diflerences in temperaturev and specific gravity between the two liquids employed.

practicable commercially, are in the form of aqueous solu- P The nearer together the specific gravities,

the slower is the movementof the globules through a column of liquid of a given height. If the specific gravity of the cooling liquid is smaller than that of the gelatinoussubstance, the globules sink to the bottom; whereas, in the reverse case, the globules rise to the top, or remain floating at the top.

Since the specific gravity of asubstance also upon its temperature, it becomes possible to arrange conditions in such a way that the gelatinous globules, as long as they are comparatively warm, remain floating on the top of the cooling liquid, but sink to bottom when their specific gravity increases on cooling. This renders possible of gelatinous material with other sub- Especially food preparations or stances.

may be produced by using the new method in such a way that emulsions or solutions of eggs, blood, sugar, milk,

stances themeselvs, are incorporated into medicines, etc., or the sub-.

' troduced as a .mixture into liquids. Also flavoring and coloring sub-- the gelatinous material, and thereafter inthe cooling stances, or substances of other kinds, may be incorporated with gelatinous material, and brought into divided solid form by the method herein described.

As illustrative examples, thefollowing: r

(1) A solution of gelatin at 50 C. containing 20% of gelatin is dropped from atinned copper nozzle of 0.7 mm. in diameter into tetrachlorid of carbon at 10 (3., while the tetrachlorid of carbon is maintained at this temperature by cooling. It is surpris} ing tofsee that the globules of the gelatinous material do not adhere together even if the tetrachlorid of carbon is not sufiiciently cool to completely solidify the globules of the gelatinous material. The solidified globules areremoved by a filter or in any other suitable manner. The adherent tetrachlorid ofoarbon is removed, for instance, by evaporating in oacuo, and may be recovered. The water can be removed from the globules of oacuo, or by drying the material in a stream of dry air, or in any other convenient Way. i

(2) A solution of gelatin sweetened with sugar and perfumed and suitably colored is atomized by ejecting it from a suitable nozzle, and allowed to enter into cooled trichlorethylene. The small particles of gelatin, taking globular shape, form flour of gelatin, which may be continuously separated from the'cooling liquid by filtration.

- The trichlorethylene still adhering to the after some moments when they have nearly gelatin-flour may be regained as previously descrlbed. The atomized gelatinous mate rial might either enter directly into the liquid ormay pass at first through the air.

(3) A solution of animal glue of 25% at a temperature of 50 C. is allowed to drop into a cooling liquid formed of a mixture or 170 parts oftetrachlorid of carbon and 100 parts of ing kept continuously at a temperature of about 10 C.

Depending upon the velocity with which the drops are introduced into the cooling liquid, and also depending upon the size of the aperture of the nozzle, globules of glue of difi'erent sizes and of substantially globular form are obtained, which, on entering the cooling liquid, float on or near the surface of the liquid, but sink to the bottom attained the temperature of the surrounding cooling liquid.

The duration of flotation of the globules on or near the surface of the cooling. liquid, and the velocity of sinking down to the bottom, may be regulated at will by suitable variation of the components of the cooling I would suggest gelatin by evaporating in' into rotation within the cooling liquid.

benzin; said cooling liquid be mixture. This embodiment of the process is particularly suitable for obtaining large lobules. I If the gelatin solution is allowed to fall down in larger drops from a greater. height into the cooling liquid, or if a strong jet ofge'latin-solution 1s mpingedon the surface of the cooling liquid, or injected into the liquid itself, a considerable proportion of very fine globules is produced, as well as larger globules. The several grades or sizes maybe separated from each other by sifting, so that a plurality of grades of mate'- rial according to variable fineness is obtained. The sifting of the material is advisable in ;most cases because the globules formed may difier somewhat from each other in size, although it is surprising to see that, under proper conditions, the size of the several globules is nearly uniform.

, Instead ofinjecting the gelatin solution into the cooling liquid, or instead of impinging it on the surface of the cooling liquid, its introduction into the cooling liquid may be also effected by centrifugal force. For instance, the gelatinous material may be introduced into a centrifugal drum the wall of which is formed by a filtering cloth, and such drum may be gut nder the influenceof centrifugal force, the contents of the drum pass through the meshes of the filtering cloth and, in finely divided form, enter the cooling liquid, and form therein solid globular particles.

The new product-can be manufactured by means of small and cheap apparatus, in large quantities, at low expense, and in ashort time. in the manufacture of gelatinous products or glue, the gelatin or glue solution coming from the evaporating apparatus may be treated in the above described manner with the result that the expensive and bulky drying devices hitherto used may be dispensed wit The globules of gelatin and glue may be gathered up and packed, and shipped much more conveniently than the thin sheets hitherto used.

The regular form of the gelatinous particles produced by this process allows easy ascertaining of the purity of the product without diflicult analysis. In this way adulterations of the material may be effectively discovered and prevented, because it would be practically impossible to secure adulterating material of the same shape and appearance as that given to the gelatinous globules by the process of this invention.

1 claim as my invention.

1. The method for the production oi solid gelatinous substances in a divided'condition, which consists in bringing the gelatinous material when in the liquid state into contact with a. liquid unable to dissolve such .tion, which consists in brin naomsa gelatinous material, the temperature of said liquid being sufliciently low to solidify the ge atin.

2. The method for the production of solid gelatinous substances in a divided condition, which consists in bringing the gelatinous material when in the liquid state and in divided form into contact with a liquid unable to dissolve such gelatinous material, and solidifying the gelatinous material by cooling within the liquid.

3. The method for the production of solid gelatinous substances in a divided condiing the gelatinous material when in the liquldtstate into contact with a cooling mixture of two or more liquids unable to dissolve the elatinous material, the temperature of sai mixture being low enough to congeal'the gelatin.

4. The method for the production of solid gelatinous substances in a divided condition, which consists in bringing the gelatinous material when in the liquid state into contact with a cooling mixture of two or more liquids unable to dissolve the gelatinous material, the tem erature of said mixture being low enoug to congeal the gelatin, and regulating the density of the cooling liquid by varying the relative quantity of its components during the process.

5. The method for the production ofi solid gelatinous substances in a divided condition, which consists in bringing the gelatinous material when in the liquid state into contact with a cooling li uid containing trichlorethylene and una le to dissolve the gelatinous material, the liquid having a temperature low enough to congealthe gelatin.

6. The method for the production of solid gelatinous substances in divided condition, which consists in bringing a liquid mixture of a gelatinous material and another material, the first of which is adapted to congeal b cooling, into contact with a liquid una ile to dissolve the gelatinous component of the mixture, the said liquid being at a temperature low enough to congeal the gelatin in the mixture.

I. The method for the production of solid 'food preparations, which consists in bringing a liquid mixture containing food substances and gelatinous material adapted to congeal by cooling into contact with a liquid unable to dissolve the gelatinous component of the mixture, the said liquid being at a temperature low enough to congeal the gelatin 1n the mixture.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two witnesses this fifteenth day of September 1915.

DR. PAUL ASKENASY, PROFESSOR.

Witnesses HENRY HAsPnR, LILLI FRANK. 

